All hiring managers have an idea of what they are looking for in their ideal sales candidate. As a recruiter dealing with many hiring managers and candidates, you begin to see a similarity to what each hiring manager is looking for. I will be going over the top 3 things that employers like to see in their candidates.
1. Experience
Having direct experience in the space or specialty is the most important thing managers look for in a candidate, especially given the current COVID-19 landscape. Sales candidates with prior industry knowledge and relationships will take a lot less time to hit the ground running rather than someone who needs training. Budgets are tight as a result of the pandemic. The ideal candidate should have 5-7 years of experience in that space or specialty. For candidates that do not have 5-7 years of specialty experience, some hiring managers might consider candidates with 2-3 years of experience with a track record of sales success.
2. Sales Awards/Success
The more sales awards and sales success you can show on your resume will show the recruiter and hiring manager that you are the rock star they are looking for. Managers are looking for candidates who can come into the position and produce and grow the company. The more years over plan and President Clubs, Rep of the Year or any other awards you can pack onto your resume the better.
3. Cultural Fit
For most hiring managers having the experience and sales success is what they want but being a cultural fit to their team is something that also comes into play. During the hiring process the manager will ask you questions on experience and sales success but they will also be asking many behavioral questions to see if you are a match for their company culture. And while they are interviewing you to see if you're a cultural fit make sure that it is a perfect match for you as well so that you can have the best experience possible.